reviewed by

Who's Going:

Reason to Stay:

Hotel Type:

Desert Resort

Preferred Room:

King Suite – Main Pool

Special Features:

Resort Setting, Trendy Clientele, Urban-Location

Amenities:

Restaurant, Lounge, Swimming Pool, Bar

With an ever-expanding franchise of hotels in Miami and Los Angeles, Mondrian Scottsdale managed to be a one-of-a-kind property despite its shared name before going bankrupt in late-2009. We were quite surprised when the Paris Hilton-christened hotel closed its doors to make way for the newest outpost from the private equity firm behind San Diego's US Grant Hotel.

What was once a formulaic boutique hotel with impractical furnishings and beer-guzzling frat crowd is now a meticulous design resort by rising international star Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz. The sprawling resort complex is painted in bold shades of white and black surrounding a central resort pool drenched in fleshy eye candy. Inspired by the Garden of Eden, Noriega-Ortiz created one of the most visually remarkable Scottsdale resorts in years utilizing a mature design aesthetic that mixes modernist furnishings with ornate decor and rich architectural accents.

The lobby features towering swags of white fabric billowing around a large fountain area with antique mirrors, long serpentine bench and biblical images of Adam with Eve. The in-house restaurant is an all-white dining room with circular booths and white Princess chairs juxtaposed to a sprawling outdoor patio with freestanding fireplace and dramatic all-black design scheme. Next-door is the ultra-hip bar that, under the SkyBar name, was once the hottest nightlife scene in town.

The Room:

In an oasis of stocky palm trees and wild desert landscape, this three-story urban resort offers interior views of the main or Serenity pool and surrounding desert mountains. By no means a small resort, with 194 rooms, entry-level accommodations include king-size beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors opening to small balconies or private patio. The black and white color scheme of the resort extends to all guest room categories with fabric-strew walls of white opposite black veneer cabinetry and indistinguishable black leather chair. Bathrooms are a lot bolder with mosaic blue tiling and basin sinks lined in bath products. All rooms are equipped with wireless internet, 42-inch plasma TVs and an iPod connection. Larger suites feature free-flowing living areas with sectional leather sofas and larger work area for business travelers. For those needing even more room, specialty apartment suites include open living rooms with dining room with three private patio areas for summer entertaining. Located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, this walled urban resort manages to maintain a sheltered and protected ambiance with 25-foot gates and bougainvillea-covered fence despite the ruckus of restaurants and nightlife that beckons in the neighborhood.